The Tri-City ValleyCats third baseman, who is back in Troy for his second season with the squad, prefers to let his game do most of the explaining on the field and while Nelubowich didn’t have the opportunity to do much of that last summer, he’s more determined than ever to lead by example this year.

“I was here last year and we had a great season last year,” he said. “Obviously, we won a championship. I didn’t play a whole lot but every guy kind of has their role. So to be back and hopefully take on a little different role this year and play some more. It’s a great town, a great city for baseball. I’m happy to play baseball again.”

Nelubowich will get that chance tonight as the ValleyCats open their season, and their title defense, against the Connecticut Tigers at Joe Bruno Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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In his first professional season last summer, Nelubowich got only a few chances to show what he’s capable of on the field, notching just 15 hits in 81 at bats for a batting average of .185.

But now, the Washington State product is ready for some new personal challenges, even if he isn’t ready to broadcast them on the brand-new scoreboard in left field.

“Personal goals are things that a lot of guys keep to themselves,” Nelubowich said. “But it’s the team goals that are important. If the team wins, that means you’re putting yourself in opportunities to do well yourself. They go hand in hand. If you do well, the team does well and if the team does well you have more chances for RBI, more chances for all those sorts of things.”

While Nelubowich is focused more on team oriented goals, and repeating as NY-Penn League champs, than personal accomplishments, there is one way that the third baseman is making a singular impact with the team.

As one of the few returning players on the ValleyCats roster this summer, Nelubowich has quietly stepped into a leadership role, helping first-time players prepare for not only tonight’s game, but a season full of difficult matchups and baseball learning curves.

“When I came in last year, I had a thousand questions on how everything worked,” Nelubowich said. “There’s a lot of guys here that have never been here before, never played in this league. If they have questions, I’m more than willing to answer because I know how it feels to be kind of lost a little bit. But they’ll pick it up quick. In a week, everyone will kind of be a veteran and have everything figured out.”

The quiet leadership has been crucial for the Cats in the weeks leading up to tonight’s season opener. As more and more players join the rosters, many for their first-ever professional game, players like Nelubowich have been necessary to avoid the very easy chaos that the changes could transition into.

“We don’t have that many guys here from last year,” Cats manager Ed Romero said. “They can pass along whatever experience they have. I talked to the guys already about last year and we’ll continue to talk and remind the guys.”

Nelubowich isn’t looking to do too much out of the ordinary this season.

He simply wants the chance to play some baseball but when he gets, Nelubowich is going to run, hit and catch with it.

“We were in Florida for a very long time,” Nelubowich said of waiting for the season to start. “So it’s nice to be back. I’m very pyshced.”